Mack's Analysis Debunks Posner's SBT

[Cliff Varnell]

Last week I had the following exchange with Gary Mack, curator of

the Sixth Floor Museum, in regards to the newly released Jefferies film,

taken 90 seconds before the shooting.

The Jefferies film shows the jacket riding up into JFK's hairline.

http://video.jfk.org/George_Jefferies_film.wmv

Gary and I compared the Jefferies film with the Towner film:

http://www.jfk-online.com/Towner.mpg

Cliff Varnell:

The Towner film was taken less than 10 seconds before the shooting.

The Towner film trumps the Jefferies film in evidentiary value -- doesn't it?

Gary Mack:

When I look at a good copy of Towner, I see the suit IS bunched

even though part of his shirt collar is still visible. I think there's a blowup

version in the Discovery Channel "Death In Dealey Plaza" program.

That show uses the Museum's transfer of the original film, not that

crappy Groden version. Take a look - the bulge that's very clear in

Jefferies is still there in Towner.

The two key stipulations in this analysis are:

1) JFK's shirt collar was visible at the back of his neck on Elm St.

2) The "bunch" seen on Elm St. was a "bulge."

The importance of the visible shirt collar should be obvious -- it

means the jacket dropped in order to expose the shirt collar.

The significance of the fabric "bulge" should also be obvious.

A bulge is a "swelling outward." Middle-aged "bulge" means the

waist-line expands -- it does not mean that the stomach rides up

into the chest.

"Out" and "up" are not the same thing.

Gary Mack's analysis corroborates the observation that the jacket

dropped, and the fabric below the collar was a "bulge" outward, not

a "bunch" upward.

This is Gerald Posner on the Op-Ed page of the NY Times,

Wednesday, February 21, 2007:

Only 90 seconds before Lee Harvey Oswald fired the first shot, Kennedy's

suit jacket was precisely in position to mis-represent the bullet's entry point.

By noting the visible shirt collar and outward fabric bulge on Elm St,

Gary Mack has destroyed Posner's SBT, which requires JFK's jacket to

ride up into his hairline.

As Gary Mack has corroborated (albeit unintentionally), the jacket

dropped in Dealey Plaza.

Thank you, Gary!

Edited February 27, 2007 by Cliff Varnell

[Cliff Varnell]

Gary Mack has written in reply to this post:

Cliff,

My observation of the Towner film, which you call "analysis," does

nothing to Posner's opinion one way or the other, no matter how

hard you try to spin it.

Gary

cc: Gerald Posner

I replied thusly, in part:

Gary,

You stipulate to seeing the shirt collar at the

back of JFK's neck in the Towner film less than

five seconds before the shooting.

Gary responded:

Read again. I never said I saw the shirt collar "at the back."

I saw "part of his shirt collar" and was referring to the side.

Had you bothered to ask, I would have clarified.

Fair enough.

I have twice offered to retract my characterization of Gary's

description of "part of his shirt collar" in Towner if Gary

would kindly point out to me where in the Towner film the

shirt collar is NOT visible at the back of JFK's neck.

I await Gary's response, although I'm not holding my breath.

In the later frames of the Towner film, the MOST prominent

aspect of JFK is his shirt collar at the back of his head.

Posner's analysis of Jefferies is debunked by the documented

drop of JFK's jacket, which Gary Mack has observed.

Last week I had the following exchange with Gary Mack, curator of

the Sixth Floor Museum, in regards to the newly released Jefferies film,

taken 90 seconds before the shooting.

The Jefferies film shows the jacket riding up into JFK's hairline.

http://video.jfk.org/George_Jefferies_film.wmv

Gary and I compared the Jefferies film with the Towner film:

http://www.jfk-online.com/Towner.mpg

Cliff Varnell:

The Towner film was taken less than 10 seconds before the shooting.

The Towner film trumps the Jefferies film in evidentiary value -- doesn't it?

Gary Mack:

When I look at a good copy of Towner, I see the suit IS bunched

even though part of his shirt collar is still visible. I think there's a blowup

version in the Discovery Channel "Death In Dealey Plaza" program.

That show uses the Museum's transfer of the original film, not that

crappy Groden version. Take a look - the bulge that's very clear in

Jefferies is still there in Towner.

The two key stipulations in this analysis are:

1) JFK's shirt collar was visible at the back of his neck on Elm St.

2) The "bunch" seen on Elm St. was a "bulge."

The importance of the visible shirt collar should be obvious -- it

means the jacket dropped in order to expose the shirt collar.

The significance of the fabric "bulge" should also be obvious.

A bulge is a "swelling outward." Middle-aged "bulge" means the

waist-line expands -- it does not mean that the stomach rides up

into the chest.

"Out" and "up" are not the same thing.

Gary Mack's analysis corroborates the observation that the jacket

dropped, and the fabric below the collar was a "bulge" outward, not

a "bunch" upward.

This is Gerald Posner on the Op-Ed page of the NY Times,

Wednesday, February 21, 2007:

Only 90 seconds before Lee Harvey Oswald fired the first shot, Kennedy's

suit jacket was precisely in position to mis-represent the bullet's entry point.

By noting the visible shirt collar and outward fabric bulge on Elm St,

Gary Mack has destroyed Posner's SBT, which requires JFK's jacket to

ride up into his hairline.

As Gary Mack has corroborated (albeit unintentionally), the jacket

dropped in Dealey Plaza.

Thank you, Gary!

[Chris Davidson]

Cliff,

If you know what specific frame from the movie you need, just specify.

Here's one from the movie and the photo by Jim Towner.

I enlarged them somewhat.

If it helps,

chris

[Cliff Varnell]

Cliff,

If you know what specific frame from the movie you need, just specify.

Here's one from the movie and the photo by Jim Towner.

I enlarged them somewhat.

If it helps,

chris

Thank you, Chris!

Wow! That's the best I've ever seen the Towner film.

The shirt collar is clearly visible at the back of his neck,

and the bowed out "bulge" is also quite visible.

No matter if the "bulge" is similar to the one in Jefferies -- the

jacket clearly dropped from its position in Jefferies.

And how is it the "bulge" didn't pick up any sunshine in

Betzner #3. Funny how a 1/2" shirt collar caught sunshine

but 6 inches of bunched up shirt and jacket fabric remained

in shadow.

Chris, do you have access to a good copy of the Nix film?

And could you post a frame from the Towner film after the

first motorcycle cop passes?

TIA...

[Chris Davidson]

Cliff,

If you know what specific frame from the movie you need, just specify.

Here's one from the movie and the photo by Jim Towner.

I enlarged them somewhat.

If it helps,

chris

Thank you, Chris!

Wow! That's the best I've ever seen the Towner film.

The shirt collar is clearly visible at the back of his neck,

and the bowed out "bulge" is also quite visible.

No matter if the "bulge" is similar to the one in Jefferies -- the

jacket clearly dropped from its position in Jefferies.

And how is it the "bulge" didn't pick up any sunshine in

Betzner #3. Funny how a 1/2" shirt collar caught sunshine

but 6 inches of bunched up shirt and jacket fabric remained

in shadow.

Chris, do you have access to a good copy of the Nix film?

And could you post a frame from the Towner film after the

first motorcycle cop passes?

TIA...

Cliff,

Probably the best I have of this request.

Don't know what the white lines are in Towner, but I got the best I could without it going across his back.

Both enlarged and slightly enhanced for contrast.

chris

[Cliff Varnell]

Cliff,

If you know what specific frame from the movie you need, just specify.

Here's one from the movie and the photo by Jim Towner.

I enlarged them somewhat.

If it helps,

chris

Thank you, Chris!

Wow! That's the best I've ever seen the Towner film.

The shirt collar is clearly visible at the back of his neck,

and the bowed out "bulge" is also quite visible.

No matter if the "bulge" is similar to the one in Jefferies -- the

jacket clearly dropped from its position in Jefferies.

And how is it the "bulge" didn't pick up any sunshine in

Betzner #3. Funny how a 1/2" shirt collar caught sunshine

but 6 inches of bunched up shirt and jacket fabric remained

in shadow.

Chris, do you have access to a good copy of the Nix film?

And could you post a frame from the Towner film after the

first motorcycle cop passes?

TIA...

Cliff,

Probably the best I have of this request.

Don't know what the white lines are in Towner, but I got the best I could without it going across his back.

Both enlarged and slightly enhanced for contrast.

chris

Fantastic! Thanks Chris!

One thing Gary Mack is right about -- the Groden copies of these films

are crap.

New detail in the Nix frame -- the dimpled jacket, and a slight jacket

bulge. His shirt collar is not visible in that frame.

Also, compare the two Towner frames. In the earlier frame, the "tip"

of the jacket bulge pokes above the right shoulder-line. In the later

frame, the right shoulder-line is smooth.

And, of course, the shirt collar is clearly visible at the back of the

neck in Towner.

Chris, during a later frame in the Nix film JBC is positioned equally

between Jackie and JFK. In that frame the shirt collar is visible.

Could you grab that frame?

TIA, my friend.

[Chris Davidson]

Cliff,

If you know what specific frame from the movie you need, just specify.

Here's one from the movie and the photo by Jim Towner.

I enlarged them somewhat.

If it helps,

chris

Thank you, Chris!

Wow! That's the best I've ever seen the Towner film.

The shirt collar is clearly visible at the back of his neck,

and the bowed out "bulge" is also quite visible.

No matter if the "bulge" is similar to the one in Jefferies -- the

jacket clearly dropped from its position in Jefferies.

And how is it the "bulge" didn't pick up any sunshine in

Betzner #3. Funny how a 1/2" shirt collar caught sunshine

but 6 inches of bunched up shirt and jacket fabric remained

in shadow.

Chris, do you have access to a good copy of the Nix film?

And could you post a frame from the Towner film after the

first motorcycle cop passes?

TIA...

Cliff,

Probably the best I have of this request.

Don't know what the white lines are in Towner, but I got the best I could without it going across his back.

Both enlarged and slightly enhanced for contrast.

chris

Fantastic! Thanks Chris!

One thing Gary Mack is right about -- the Groden copies of these films

are crap.

New detail in the Nix frame -- the dimpled jacket, and a slight jacket

bulge. His shirt collar is not visible in that frame.

Also, compare the two Towner frames. In the earlier frame, the "tip"

of the jacket bulge pokes above the right shoulder-line. In the later

frame, the right shoulder-line is smooth.

And, of course, the shirt collar is clearly visible at the back of the

neck in Towner.

Chris, during a later frame in the Nix film JBC is positioned equally

between Jackie and JFK. In that frame the shirt collar is visible.

Could you grab that frame?

TIA, my friend.

Here you go.

Didn't touch this one as it becomes more blurry in previous/successive frames.

Left it in PNG format, so no compression.

If you can't open it let me know and I'll .jpg for you.

chris

[Cliff Varnell]

Chris, during a later frame in the Nix film JBC is positioned equally

between Jackie and JFK. In that frame the shirt collar is visible.

Could you grab that frame?

TIA, my friend.

Here you go.

Didn't touch this one as it becomes more blurry in previous/successive frames.

Left it in PNG format, so no compression.

If you can't open it let me know and I'll .jpg for you.

chris

Thank you, Chris!

I see white shirt collar at the left back of JFK's neck in that frame.

I don't see white shirt collar at the back in Jefferies.

I see white shirt collar in Towner -- more than ever!

And, of course, there's the white shirt collar in Betzner a split second

before JFK was first struck.

The jacket dropped. Not a theory, an easily observed fact.

Edited February 28, 2007 by Cliff Varnell

[Cliff Varnell]

The jacket dropped. Not a theory, an easily observed fact.

Although Gary Mack accuses me of promoting a "theory," Gary has

acknowledged the jacket drop as a fact -- at least, that's how I would

interpret the following exchange between us last Friday.

Cliff Varnell:

Gary,

You're not interested in the well documented historical fact that

JFK's jacket collar dropped to a normal position at the base of his

neck in Dealey Plaza?

Gary Mack:

I didn't say I was not interested.

To which I responded:

Good! We'll agree to disagree about every other point

and just stick with something we both agree on:

That JFK's jacket collar drop in Dealey Plaza is interesting.

Have you watched for the drop in a clear copy of Nix?

Alas, Gary did not respond to that last question.

Gary's comment appears to acknowledge the historical fact that

JFK's jacket collar dropped to a normal position at the base of

his neck in Dealey Plaza -- instantly debunking the theory that

there were 6 inches of shirt/jacket fabric bunched up at the base

of his neck.

Gary's comment -- note the double negative -- appears to

reveal a degree of interest in this crucial historical fact.

Isn't it interesting that Gary Mack would make a big deal about the

un-proven degree of "bunching" seen in Jefferies but downplay as a

"theory" a fact he can see with his own eyes?

Edited February 28, 2007 by Cliff Varnell